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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

After a lot of traveling and lots of fun playing with my mother's and youngest sister's dishes, I'm back home for a while. The table today is one I set for a special Sunday lunch recently. It features the china, crystal, and silver I received as wedding gifts back in 1972. Any other brides from the 70s out there?

The light in the first photo isn't great, but I included it because I noticed it captured one of our cats, enjoying the spring sunshine.

The china is Lenox Windsong, now discontinued. I always use it with either off-white or pale-blue linens, but would love your suggestions about other colors to try. The photo below also shows my Lunt Belvedere silver flatware.

Here's a closer look at the cream soup bowl, my favorite piece in this pattern.

The crystal is Lenox Moonspun, with a platinum band and an etched leaf pattern to echo the leaves on the china.

Here's the host's view of the table:

I realized I had forgotten to add candles -- not needed at lunch, but a pretty addition to the table -- and napkins! My sweet in-laws gave me the candlesticks years ago.

The simple centerpiece includes white mums and alstroemeria from HEB in an urn from Southern Living at Home that I've had for several years. Here's a closer look:

Here's the bird's eye view of the table. Just ignore that slightly off-kilter soup bowl!

Monday, April 26, 2010

For Marty's Table Top Tuesday, I'm showing a coffee-table-set-for-one featuring my sister's Spode Woodland Hunting Dogs pattern. She graciously allowed me to play with her dishes and other items during my recent visit to Nashville.

My sister bought these dishes a few years ago when we were all visiting my parents in Little Rock, at one of our favorite shops there, Fifth Season. She has dinner plates, salad plates, and mugs in the golden retriever and English springer spaniel designs. Here's a closer look at the placesetting, which includes her silverplate from Grandma Rachel, Reed and Barton's Louis XVI.

Here's an even closer look at the English springer spaniel salad plate, followed by one of the golden retriever dinner plate:

The green napkin folded into the mug highlights the green in the center of the design.

And, for all you dog lovers out there, here's a closer look at the golden retriever figure that usually stands on the hearth, with a gerbera daisy tucked into his basket.

Here's one more look at the setting.

Thanks for visiting, and please also stop by Marty's A Stroll Thru Life to see some inspiring table tops.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Last week I showed you a table set with my Nashville sister's Castleton Empire china. During my visit we also set a brunch table with her everyday china, Gorham Sweet Violet. We cut flowers from a shrub in her yard for the centerpiece, and we also pulled some wild violets to complement the china.

Here's a closer look at a placesetting. I love the all-over violet pattern on the salad plate. The placemats and napkins are from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and the stainless is my sister's everyday flatware.

Here's an even closer look -- the china is in pretty good shape after nearly 20 years of daily use!

The teacup is a pretty shape.

The sugar bowl and creamer are also gracefully shaped.

Here's a better look at the freshly picked wild violets.

I love her iron bird candlesticks.

And here's a bird's eye view of the table -- very fresh and pretty for a spring brunch!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

I was in Nashville last weekend to visit my youngest sister and to see my niece in the Tennessee Rep's production of Big River -- fabulous show, by the way! I had warned my sister that I wanted to play with her dishes while I was there, and she acquiesced, even buying some new table linens! This week I'm showing her table set with Castleton Empire, another set of china from our Grandma Rachel, but with a bit of a different history than her wedding china I posted about three weeks ago. Grandma Rachel was worried that my sister, as a lastborn daughter, wouldn't have any family china to inherit, so she bought this set from her sister-in-law (our Great-Aunt Rene) when Rene moved to her retirement apartment. Here's a diner's view of a place setting of Castleton Empire, as well as some beautiful crystal from Grandma Rachel in a pattern we have been unable to identify. (Edit: Replacements.com identified it as Glastonbury/Lotus' Minton 36 pattern.)

Here is a better look at the pattern, which has a gold-plated pearled edge. The flatware is Reed and Barton's Louis XVI silverplate, also from Grandma Rachel.

Here's a closer look at the rims of the plates. The placemats and napkins are from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

And a closer look at the center design:

The set includes a number of serving pieces, including this wonderful soup tureen.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Last week for Tablescape Thursday I set my mother's dining table with her Castleton Ma Lin china, and this week I'm showing the same table, but set with her other Castleton pattern, Mayfair.

As you can see, it features yellow roses with gray and rust leaves and stems -- an unusual color combination. In the fall, rust-colored linens would be pretty with this pattern, but I think the bare table sets it off nicely, too. The Fostoria Navarre crystal and Reed and Barton French Renaissance silver were shown in last week's post.

Monday, April 5, 2010

For this week's Table Top Tuesday I'm showing my dining room sideboard. Right now, I'm using it to display some pretty demitasse cups inherited from my Great-Aunt Lottie and a plate and covered pitcher that belonged to my husband's parents.

Here's a closer look at a demitasse cup and saucer. The marking on the bottom is "Ebeling and Reuss American Artware." I found some almost identical ones on eBay, but with a navy band. Given the price on eBay, these have only sentimental value, but I love them.

At the other end of the sideboard is a platter and pitcher set marked "Ningpo Wedgwood, Etruria, England." My husband's parents bought it many years ago and gave it to us recently. I love the colors and think it looks especially good against the red wall of the dining room.

Thank you for visiting my dining room, and please check out the other links at Marty's Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life!

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About Me

You've heard of The Young and the Restless? And The Bold and the Beautiful? Well, the story of my life would have to be called The Dull and the Dutiful. No one would buy my autobiography, as I had a happy childhood, married a terrific man, and have two brilliant and delightful adult children and three adorable (and brilliant) grandchildren. Oh, and I have just retired from a long career in higher education!